Dwarves
From far south in their mountain cities in Aethyrlan Dwarves wrought homes of the living stone there long ago, now expanded out into many of the peaks of most lands across Thelania they are known by most though they keep to their earthy homes more often than not. The stout and staunch folk of the underground they are well known as diligent miners, excellent smiths and hardy drinkers. Appearance Dwarves are a short and broad built people, stout and staunch. They stand between four and five feet in height with wider set structures than those of humans and typically muscular or overweight frames that make them typically weigh notably more than humans on average. Hair is thick and straight or wavy, usually worn long with braids and beads, males typically grow long beards which they decorate similarly. Many dwarven women grow thick sideburns and some even have some facial hair though considerably less than males and of a sparser more downy quality. Dwarves usually have light but ruddy, tanned or tawny complexions, hair of black, brown or red shades, and brown, yellow, or grey eyes. Their features are usually large and pronounced either in blocky or round shapes with strong jaws, noses and large round ears being common. Traits & Abilities Dwarves have longer lifespans than some races such as humans, living to be two to four hundred years old on average, they reach maturity at about forty years old. They are a very sturdy folk, their broad builds giving even the weakest among them greater footing and burden bearing capabilities than most other races. Being a people of the underground they are well acclimated to both heat and cold and less bothered by such temperatures than many other beings. Dwarves are known not only to be well suited for hard labor of which they do plenty, but also for having keen minds and steady hands that lend themselves well to many works of forging and crafting which they pick up well, particularly those that involve metal or stone working where they have many many generations of experience and natural talent. Not a particularly prolific race dwarves tend to have few children overall with many never having any at all and some having a handful but they are such a hearty people that complications and illness are rare to arise among them, even their babies or elderly, keeping a healthy supply of their folk ever present. Dwarves are not known to be very good swimmers as they possess little buoyancy and they do not take well to leaving the earth by means of flying or high platforms above the ground. History Hailing originally from the snowy peaks of Aethyrlan the dwarves dwelt there for a very long time undisturbed and content to remain rather than travel. Eventually however they were found by other, ships which occasionally were swept southward to their shores in storms brought merchants and travelers from other lands. The promise of other mountains and more riches and ore encouraged younger dwarves from their old homelands and they left their folk upon the strange ships of other races. Though they were none too keen on the journey across the seas the dwarves indeed found other mountains and staked their claims, thus spreading slowly out into the world around them. Now they inhabit the ranges of many lands such as V'lithe, where they are now a kingdom apart from the empire that rules the rest of the land though few acknowledge them as such since they are hidden away from the common folk in their remote stone cities. Dwarves are known to trade with others, fetching high prices for their valuable crafts and materials which they prize greatly. Few have attempted to wage war on the dwarves in spite of their precious wares because their cities are so well fortified within the mountains. In 232 OE in the early days of their habitation within V'lithe the humans there attempted many skirmishes and assaults after discovering that much of what they deemed their most precious ores were being taken from them. The battles were long and bloody, the humans lay siege to the dwarven towns and pressed it for many months trying to starve them out of their finely carven halls. Eventually a truce was struck, the dwarves agreed to pay tribute and swear fealty to the human kingdoms whose borders they dwelt within but it was a promise not long kept. While the human generations passed and they settled into complacency with this arrangement the dwarves delved deeper into the mountains, expanding quietly and reinforcing their halls. 327 OE brought with it the end of this arrangement between the humans and the dwarves, now much better settled within both the Rethan Spine and the Highwatch Peaks, put a halt to their end of the arrangement, no longer sending shipments of their ore or gems to the humans. A few months of confusion followed before any response was mustered by the humans, a brief assault was attempted but quickly abandoned, instead a simpler agreement was eventually reached between them. While the dwarves would manage their own kingdom and stay out of the affairs of the humans they would keep peace and trade would resume between them though the dwarves would pay no levies any longer. Since then the dwarves of V'lithe have maintained this way of live, not a part of the empire that later formed to consume the continent of V'lithe, but simply a quiet neighbor within their lands, oft forgotten by the common folk but a valuable resource to them all the same. For the most part the dwarves have remained far removed from the politics and other dealings of the V'lithian's, particularly the war that pitted them against Aethyrlan in which nearly all the dwarves refused to participate. Culture & Lore The culture of dwarves is one deeply steeped with their many crafts, shaping stone and ore are so interwoven a part of their lives that they learn such trades at young ages. Children are taught the crafts of their parents or else are often fostered off to relatives to learn under their tutelage instead. Because many dwarves choose never to have their own children and those that do often have several familial bonds are strong among them, even those who are raised by their uncles, aunts or cousins proudly boast the name of their parents. Dwarves do not often make what one would normally consider a house, for their homes are hewn into the mountains so that instead their cities are more akin to one great building whose halls are their roads and rooms are dwellings. Some few dwarven towns are built in more traditional man-like fashion by means of carving out buildings in the sides of massive caverns or mountain faces. An example of such dwarven architecture is the city of Gilderton in Aethyrlan which was gifted by the dwarves to the refugees of Elethar when they arrived and settled the harsh southern lands. The Dwarves of V'lithe, particularly those of the Rethan Spine breed a unique species of golden fleeced mountain ram that is quite large and sturdy. These surefooted creatures are used as beasts of burden for trade overground and sometimes as mounts for the young or very elderly on long treks. They are also a source of food and wool among the dwarves and their smaller kin serve a similar role to the people of the Ivalian Highlands who share also a love for mining and smithing. The city of Ivalith has one of the Rethan Mountain Goats as its emblem and keep steady trade and good relations with the dwarves, often exchanging their impressive North Forge Steel for the dwarves bejeweled works. Trivia Category:Setting Category:Races Category:Races of Man Category:Fauna